MILWAUKEE – During a volunteer event at the Marcia P. Coggs Health and Human Services Center, County Executive David Crowley, County Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson-Bovell, and food pantry partners provided an update on Milwaukee County’s efforts to provide supplemental food assistance for residents affected by the recent government shutdown and ongoing food insecurity challenges.
In October, what began as an urgent response to uncertainty around federal FoodShare benefits quickly grew into a powerful community effort. In response to the FoodShare delay, Milwaukee County and the City of Milwaukee launched a joint food drive in partnership with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and NourishMKE. Since launching in late October, the initiative collected more than $93,000 in monetary donations and over 9,000 pounds of food, helping stabilize families during a time of record demand at local food pantries. These contributions equate to more than 273,000 meals for the community.
“In Milwaukee County, more than 230,000 residents rely on FoodShare, including older adults, children, veterans, people with disabilities, and many more. Simply put, access to food assistance and nutrition programs is critical to the health and prosperity of Wisconsin working families,” said County Executive Crowley. “One family struggling is one too many. As the cost of food, housing, and healthcare continues to climb, there are too many Wisconsinites fighting to make ends meet. That’s why we must continue working together to ensure people in Milwaukee County and across Wisconsin have basic access to the food assistance and supportive services they need.”
Even with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits restored, food pantries experienced increased demand for fresh foods that continue to persist across the community. That’s why in November, Chairwoman Nicholson-Bovell and the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors allocated $150,000 from the County’s contingency fund to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to provide supplemental food assistance for residents and families.
“As Chairwoman, authoring this legislation was about providing the necessary $150,000 to keep families fed during these challenging times and about naming food apartheid for what it is — a public health emergency in Milwaukee County,” said County Board Chairwoman Nicholson-Bovell. “This effort recognizes that often food insecurity is rooted in decades of inequity and disinvestment. It also strengthens partnerships with trusted community organizations and drives long-term, systemic change across county departments. Together, we are moving Milwaukee County toward a future where every family has the stability, dignity, and access to healthy food they deserve.”
DHHS has now partnered with 13 local food pantries to distribute nutritious, perishable foods to households most impacted by food insecurity during the holiday season.
“Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is grateful to County Executive Crowley and Chairwoman Nicholson for their swift action as food pantries across Milwaukee County face some of the highest demand in years. Their investment makes it possible for us to source locally-produced eggs and dairy, which are high-need staples for our pantry partners, that will help thousands of families through the holiday season,” said Matt Stienstra, Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.
“NourishMKE is a network of free community food centers and our team has been working tirelessly throughout the year to meet the increasing need for our services. The SNAP crisis brought the issue to light for everyone to see and the response has been overwhelming. From food drives to volunteering to donations – the people of Milwaukee have sent a clear message that it is our duty to feed our neighbors,” said Valerie MacMillan, Executive Director, NourishMKE Community Food Centers. “County Executive Crowley and our Supervisors have emerged as champions of food justice, bringing our community together over something we all share in common: the need for nourishment. The collective response from our fellow Milwaukeeans demonstrates that when we work together we can do something as powerful as nourishing every person in our community. We urge you to continue supporting your neighborhood food pantry in any way that you can. Your small actions today build resilient communities for generations.”
Community members are invited to a food distribution event TODAY, December 10, until 4:00 PM at Nourish MKE inside the Marcia P. Coggs Health and Human Services Center (1230 West Cherry Street, Milwaukee, WI 53205).
